[The following plot summary is based on the English-language version of this film, Dangerous Paradise ; character names refer to that version.] Alma, a member of Zangiacomo's all-female orchestra, playing at Schomberg's hotel in Sourabaya, is frightened by the men's advances; attracted by the kindness of Heyst, a hotel guest, she hides on his boat to escape her tormentors. Heyst, who has retreated to a remote island following an unhappy love affair, discovers her and grudgingly allows her to remain at his cabin. Meanwhile Zangiacomo and Schomberg fight over her, resulting in Zangiacomo's death; Schomberg is then held prisoner by Mr. Jones, Ricardo, and Pedro, three desperadoes, who convert the hotel into a gambling house. To divert them, Schomberg tells them of gold on the island; and after killing and robbing Schomberg, the men depart. In a desperate confrontation with Heyst, Pedro and Ricardo are killed and Alma is wounded; but Heyst is grateful for the awakening of courage and love.

Portions of Joseph Conrad's novel appeared in Munsey's Magazine (Feb 1915). While the 1930 English-language version, entitled Dangerous Paradise , which was directed by William Wellman and starred Nancy Carroll and Richard Arlen, was made at the Paramount studios in Hollywood, foreign-language versions were produced at Paramount's studios in France. In addition to this German version, whose New York showing in May 1931 was reviewed, and an Italian version, La riva dei bruti , which was approved by the New York State censors in 1931, French, Swedish and Polish versions were produced in France, but do not appear to have been released in the U.S. Although Var lists Paul Rino as cameraman, FD and modern sources list René Guissart. As Paul Reno is listed as production manager for another Paramount German film made at Joinville, Sonntag des Lebens , the man listed in the Var review may have been the production manager for this film. The Italian version, La riva dei bruti , was directed by Mario Camerini and starred Carmen Boni and Camillo Pilotto. The French version, entitled Dans une île perdue , was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starred Danièle Parola and Enrique de Rivero. The Swedish version, entitled Farornas paradis , was directed by Rune Carlsten and starred Elisabeth Frisk and Knut Martin. The Polish version, entitled Niebezpieczny raj , was directed by Ryszard Ordynski and starred Maria Malicka and Adam Brodzisz. According to NYSA records, an alternate title of the Italian version was Domini senza Dio .

The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.